Revenge of the Rose
by Oceanwind
Summary: It was an intimidating and assertive move. She did it naturally, unaware until she was inches from his face, that she was leaning in. "I want revenge," she whispered. A Beauty and the Beast crossover that involves Pirates (some from the Caribbean, some not). A twisted fairytale with some actual facts from history. Enjoy
1. Chapter 1

**Revenge of the Rose**

 **Chapter One**

She took a deep, desperate breath. The air was muggy, matching her surroundings, but it had a hint of crisp saltiness to it. She tried to cling to the fresh part of the air, willing herself to ignore the stench that could only be described as death with a hint of shit. It had her gagging every other second. The light filtered down from above, with angry boots clanking against the boards causing bits of dust to flutter down on occasion. The slap of the waves was unrelenting and rocked the ship to and from, leaving her clenching the metal bars for stability as she screamed herself hoarse. It felt like she hadn't stopped screaming since she began this nightmare, but her current screams came from her abrupt awakening to cannon fire. She choked back sobs, and violent screams, as the familiar scent of blood filled the air again. Her cries were drowned out by the men fighting above, their swords bashing against each other with the occasional gunshot and cannon adding to the madness. The metallic cries of the swords clashing and the blood-fueled voices of angry men filled the air, yet all this had an oddly muffled tone to them from her prison cell below.

There was a splintering sound of wood breaking and a sudden rush as water started lapping at her feet. She felt herself screaming louder, reaching a note that was desperate, animal even. Tears welled up in her that she fought with a violent dismissive swipe of her hand. She had to survive. She wasn't going to go out like this, helplessly locked in a prison cell. She cursed loudly to herself, finally feeling the helpless panic start to settle at the sound of a tangible word instead of incoherent screaming. _Get your head back_ , she said as she started to pace her cell. _Deep breath_ s, she reminded herself. She bent slightly at the waist, letting her hands fall against her knees as she doubled over. _Now look around you_ , she ordered herself.

Her eyes were used to the faint light, and had been since she had woken up to the horrific battle that was raging on above her. She had forgotten where she was when she first awoke, lost in her dreams of her past, when her life had still been happy. The sound of cannons had woken her and she was unable to control her immediate reaction. Her boots started to slosh in the water at her feet. She didn't know how to swim, but she had seen it done once or twice. She was sure she could mimic the instinct, at least that's what she told herself as she eyed the rising water wearily. She kept scanning the floor, looking for something that maybe her captors had forgotten that she could use, her eyes suddenly landed on a nail that was hammered in sloppily in the corner of her cell. She ran to it, thankful that the water wasn't too high to over it or make her hands slip as she yanked it out with a grunt.

She was able to quickly pick the lock after that. The door sprang to the side as if begging her to run. But she wasn't about to charge up the stairs into a battle that she wanted nothing to do with.

She found a burlap sack full of rope that she emptied out. She was able to dig around a bit more before she found a small crow bar, a dull knife, a whole bushel of apples (which she quickly devoured one and threw a few more in the bag), a broken compass, and a few of her own personal items. She used a layer of her ruined dress to make a makeshift sack and placed the burlap and its contents at her side. She kept the knife out, moving to the side of the stairs and keeping her eyes on the rising water level. She would wait until the battle stopped and then hope that no one made their way down here. From the sounds of things upstairs the fighting would stop soon. Her stomach churned as she thought of a few faces she never wanted to see again alive or dead that were up there. She wasn't sure who was fighting but she hoped that they won. That would leave her with the best escaping situation. If her captors won... well maybe drowning wasn't such a bad option.

There was a sudden stop to the noise above, it wasn't the slowly dying out that she expected, just sudden unnerving quietness. For a split and foolish second she thought that maybe he had come to rescue her, but she quickly stomped out that thought. Her heart breaking slightly with it.

"Madam Belle," a voice called down to her causing her to gasp despite herself. Despite the hole from the blast from earlier that had woken her up there was little light in her cell, it was still extremely dark down where she was. There was a sudden thump from above near the stairs and bright light came streaming down. She blinked rapidly trying to adjust her eyes as she approached the bottom of the stairs and looked up at the silhouette.

"Monsieur," she called up evenly, careful to keep her eyes trained on the rising water below as she slowly backed up. Her immediate concern was to get to the stairs and out of her corner that she had placed herself in, but keeping in mind that the voice that was calling to her might not be friend.

"This boat is about to be abandoned. Would you like to make some more comfortable quarters aboard our ship?" The voice had a cheeky and demanding tone, almost impatient.

"Doesn't seem like I have much choice in the matter?" She answered finally deciding to move up on the steps. There was sudden light as the man moved and she looked directly up at the sun. Her blinking increased as tears streamed from her light deprived eyes.

"No, that ye don't," the man answered catching her gently at the top of the stairs and pulling her on to the deck.

Without distance between them his thick English accent was much more apparent and the informal way he spoke said he neither cared nor was worried about his situation. It took her a moment more to gather her surroundings. Her captors laid dead and strewn around the deck, an alarmingly few number of survivors were gathered at the hull defeated. The French flag was being pulled down from the mast and folded carefully by a pair of rugged unfamiliar men.

 _Pirates,_ she noted quickly and silently. She shot a glance to their ship looking for their jolly roger. A plain skull and crossed bones on a black flag left her feeling confused. She was sure she had seen that mark in a book, an older book but she dismissed it. That pirate was supposed to be dead. However if this was a knock off she might have a chance. A pirate that supposedly had some chivalry would be better than a bloodthirsty one.

She felt a quick sharp pull on her arm whipping her around to the man from before.

"Now miss, best not get lost in that head of yours just yet," he cooed leaning in a bit too close for her comfort, causing her to place a hand between them. He laughed and ushered her roughly to the plank between the ships, tugging her along with sure quick steps.

He had a large noise and sharp blue eyes that pierced her with a warning gaze. His black hat had a large wispy white feather protruding from it. An overall gruffness exuding from him, but more so as she examined his face which was tanned and leathered from the harsh spray of the sea. The long hair that framed his face was a mixture of thick black curls sprinkled in with hints of sliver and gray. He was aging, and old pirates were rare.

"Captain," a fellow soldier called, "orders for the survivors?"

"See if any fellow would like to join us in our wicked ways, and if they refuse," he paused dramatically giving the man a knowing smirk. His grip tightened on her arm in a threatening way, "kill them."

She knew she should have protested, her title demanded that she demand the innocent be spared but a small part of her was elated to not have to worry anymore. To not have to pretend and keep a pretense with her captors for the sake of her love. She turned slightly to hide her relief despite the pirate's obvious attempt to get a reaction of fear from her. When she said nothing, he kept pulling her along.

They quickly reached the captain's quarters made obvious by the luxurious wooden doors and the placement on the ship. She didn't know much about sailing, a silly mistake for such a venturous girl, and she vowed to herself that she would read up on it as much as possible when the opportunity presented itself.

"We have much to discuss," he purred and shoved her inside, "but I have a few matters to attend to first." The door slammed shut behind her, followed by a few undiscernible shouts.

She sighed. Not sure what else to do with herself she wandered in. There were several windows that lit the room wonderfully. A large desk centered the room framed with large curtains that seemed to hide doors or treasures depending on where they were in the room. There were two hallways on each side, one leading to a bedroom, for the door was wide open and showed a large feathery bed, and the other she couldn't tell for the door was closed. Forever curious she made her way to the closed door, careful to open the door slowly and peep in only to be disappointed by a plain dining room. Her eyes caught a glance at the full-length mirror. She settled in front of it for a moment. Her brown dress was filthy and tattered, and clung to her in an unflattering way. She had lost weight but not much to make her look sickly. Despite her dress's appearance she was rather clean, her skin white from lack of sunshine but otherwise unblemished. She fingered at the locket of her beloved around her neck, carefully enclosed and out of view. Her long brown hair was unkempt and knotted, framing her face. Her brown eyes were weary and she had dark circles surrounding her eyes but she miraculously noted that she hadn't lost the kindness in them despite everything. Her fingers ran up and touched her lips awed at how different she looked but so much the same. She sighed, unable to study herself longer without trying to look for traces of _him_ on her.

She meandered back to the large desk, careful not to touch the papers that were placed about, glancing over the maps and their contents with mild interest. She found herself settling in to the large plush chair, the captain's no doubt, glaring at the door and wishing the knife in her grasp was sharper so she could throw it the moment the door opened.

There was a loud bang, as the ship began to pull away from its defeated prey. She looked out from the window and she watched as the last of her captors sank to the sea. It had sustained too much damaged during the battle and they were too far from any ports for them to fix it up. That much she knew about captured ships, not all of them made it. There were no books to entertain herself which she realized after a prolonged amount of time, but there hadn't been much entertainment since her capture. She felt her mind going numb as she settled in, losing herself into a trance like state. It was pure heaven compared to what she had been experiencing with her emotions lately. She didn't notice that the sun had been down for hours and that darkness overcame the room until there was a sudden burst of light from the torch that was brought in.

"You've made yourself comfortable," the pirate mused chuckling to himself. "We'll have dinner shortly Madam," he added strolling in to the room and lighting candles as he did. The door seemed to magically swing shut behind him.

She didn't have anything to say. Not sure how she was supposed to react, a common girl, made princess, to commoner once again. How does one address a pirate? How does one address a pirate when you want something from them?

"Now you are a beauty," he mused lighting candles on the desk glancing at her but not really taking her in.

"So I've been told," she half growled. She settled on sprawling her arms out over the desk and leaning forward slightly. An intimidating and assertive move. She did it naturally unaware until she was inches from his face that she was leaning in.

"I want revenge," she whispered.

* * *

A/N: Hey loyal readers and new readers alike I'm back from a very, very long break. While I have been neglecting this site I've had a lot of life changes. I decided to make my comeback with a new fanfic and I'll try and update my old stuff when I get a chance. Hope you guys like this twisted fairytale. More to come soon ;)

~~Oceanwind


	2. Chapter 2

**Revenge of the Rose**

 **Chapter Two.**

The man took a beat before exploding in laughter at her statement. Her words apparently sending him over the edge as he held his sides and bellowed in fits of hysteria. She felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. She pulled back, folding her arms self-consciously as she waited for his episode to die down. His roaring laugh turned into a cough, and his cough turned into choking. She rushed to his side thumping him roughly on the back until he straightened and started to breath normally.

She knew what she said was absurd. It was hardly normal for anyone to start a conversation proclaiming revenge but she need to take control of her situation. Was wasn't going to become this pirate's play thing, or get involved in their misadventures. She had to start somewhere and she was always one for starting at the point that needed to be discussed. She had her own mission, one that couldn't be accomplished as a pirates prisoner. And while that is what she was technically what she had read about this man helped her bring it up so easily. If he was who she thought he was then he would help her. He wasn't called the Pirate Prince for nothing.

"Lass, there's not much ye can do about revenge," he sounded almost sad, his eyes casting down on her with a look of almost pity.

She felt for the knife that she had stashed away earlier. Her stomach quickly knotting up at his gaze. It wasn't unfriendly but it felt almost intruding. His eyes were fully taking her in now, and she was sure she didn't like that. She wasn't about to be treated as a joke. She clutched the knife to her side, making sure he saw what was in her hands.

"No need for that now," he said easily holding his hands up in a gesture of defense.

"You will not tell me what I have need for and don't have need for," she spat angrily, backing away from him. "You have no idea—"

"I'm not starting a fight with ye miss. Just that sailing' that way is not in our best interests," the man soothed his hair as his took off his ridiculously plumed hat and laid it on the table.

He rounded the desk that she had just vacated and sank into the chair with an audible sigh. He rubbed his face and leaned forward looking at her with a glint in his eye that she was sure meant mischief and danger. His hands deftly found a pipe from somewhere under his desk and he made quick work setting the contents ablaze. A wisp of smoke now clung to the air, making it feel heavier but somehow much more relaxed in the room.

"And how exactly, do you know what's in MY best interest?" she challenged, eyeing him as he inhaled deeply and let out another plume of smoke.

"A runaway bride that isn't ready to face the music..." he purred standing slightly to catch her gaze, "a girl that sees a monster and isn't scared to run away," he strode back around the table and towards her, "A girl who fights for her people but can't seem to win their love. A girl who despite it all fights to the end only to be –"

"Enough," she cut him off sharply as he stood uncomfortably close. "I know who I am, Monsieur but who are you?"

"The devil," he cracked with a smile, his pipe finding his lips and letting out an eerie red glow in the dimly lit room. She scoffed at him. His reputation hardly was that. She just wanted him to admit it. How had he avoided capture all these years? How was he still alive?

"Fine, fine," he puffed, "I'm the captain of this fine ship that we're aboard."

"Not that I would know that, I've barely seen it outside this room."

"Ye'll never lose that tongue will ye?" he teased. Her glare deepened, her patience running thin.

"Who. Are. You?" she growled. She was pressing him that she knew but he seemed to be stalling. His fingers went to his lips in the universal sign for silence and pointed to the door. Was someone listening to them? She felt her hands find her hips as she cocked her head to the side, her glare deepening.

"Well my good lady, I can't quiet answer that just yet, as we haven't discussed what is in _our_ best interest."

There was a very long pause here, which both parties eyed each other with distrust. Neither broke the others gaze as the captain continued to puff on his pipe. A trail of smoke followed him as he turned sharply and made his way towards what Belle assumed was the dining area for the captain. He motioned for her to follow him as he disappeared into the dark. She paused several feet away until she saw the faint glow of several candles being lit. The room slowly being brought to life as the man went about the room lighting the lanterns and candles alike. He was hinting at something but she wasn't sure what. What could this man possible have in common with her that aligned interests?

He gestured for her to take a seat as he rang a bell. He kicked his feet up on the table as a few men wandered in bringing barrels and food with them. There was some type of fish that had been cooked, along with lemons and some rice. It was a merger meal but it was more than what she had been eating lately. Her stomach growled loudly. A plate was placed down gently in front of her by a boy no more than 14. He grinned at her, giving her a peck on the cheek before darting out of the room.

To her surprise the few men that came in didn't leave but started to sit around her and soon after even more men with more food piled into the room. It seemed to be a full party in swing as it easily could be assumed the entire crew was enjoying the festivities. Soon there was loud laughter and a few card games as the food vanished and the barrels were opened. The wine started to appear in glasses before her. She took a few timid sips. Eyeing the men around her with veiled distrust.

No one spoke to her but they were not ignoring her. More like they were all waiting for her to make the first move. A few smiled at her with their missing teeth or gave a polite nod across the table, but none addressed her directly. She could feel the captains gaze on her as the rest of the men carried on loudly. He would lean over occasionally and speak too lowly for her to hear over the noise.

Belle found herself leaning back in the chair. She swirled her wine casually, sipping the bare minimum. To the untrained eye it would look like she had barely touched her glass, but slowly the contents appeared to get lower and lower. Eventually she coughed politely and asked if she could have another rather vaguely to the room, she honestly wasn't expecting an answer and started to stand to serve herself. Two men sprang up instantly at her side, one put a firm hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze, while the other took her glass and filled it quickly.

The one that had squeezed her shoulder sat down next to her. His smile growing wider by the second.

She supposed he was handsome, in the weird sort of way. His eyes were a deep green, and he had a plethora of freckles that littered his face and arms. He had a deep brown hair but in the candle lit it seemed to glow red, or maybe it had red in it, in this lighting she could hardly tell. His teeth were stained red by the wine and showed signs of yellowing, but other than that he was handsome. A strong jaw line and clean shaven made him look dashing in the low light. He was oddly muscular too, while most of the men were lean and wiry he looked like he was well fed and strong. It seemed that for every fault she found there was something endearing that caught her eye. She relented on her assessment and turned towards him slightly, but only after taking care to remove his hand from her shoulder.

He leaned in, pointing at her drink as he did so before she heard him mumble in a deep Irish accent.

"There are plans for a munity tonight, you would be safest not in the captain's quarters," he paused a moment to see if she heard him.

She nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

"I don't know what you know miss, but," he leaned in closer, his face nearly touching hers. She turned quickly facing the wall and noticing the room had gotten substantially louder.

"Assume I know nothing," she breathed in to her cup. He nodded thoughtfully, tilting his head ever so slightly that he appeared to be leaning on her. He was playing the overly drunk sailor but she could see eyes that he was very much sober.

"But there has been an awful lot of murmur about you. About how it's bad luck to have a woman onboard."

"Then throw me overboard," she half growled. He looked shocked, quickly shaking his head before glancing around.

"I merely meant that you'd be safest hiding until everything is over. I have watch in the nest tonight. I know it might be forward but it's the hardest place to reach, you'd be safe with me," he bumbled quickly trying to show his earnest and clear intentions. He squeezed her hand. "I need a signal and I need to know now, Miss."

She didn't have time to hesitate or refuse honestly. She nodded quickly agreeing with him, thinking of a noise or some type of signal. Her mind almost spinning and she was sure it couldn't have been because of the wine.

"Just loudly say you need to retire for the night when you're ready, I'll find you," he whispered as if he could hear her struggle.

He gave her a gentle grin before standing abruptly. He stretched, grabbed his mug and poured himself another glass of wine, before sauntering off towards some of his ship mates that were gesturing to him at the other end of the room. He made sure to stumble once or twice and sent her a wink. She felt the corners of her mouth twitch.

"It appears that the party is in full swing," the captain was next to her now. He folded his coat elegantly underneath him as he sat beside her.

"Don't tell me this in on my behalf," she made a show to tip her glass in his direction, an almost salute. He chuckled.

"No lass, more of the victory of the crew in general… and the renaming of this fine ship," he sent her a meaningful look.

"The Revenge," he whispered.

She nearly jumped. Her mind racing as she forcefully placed her drink down, the red wine sloshed violently out of the cup. Her breath quickened.

"Who are you… captain?" she asked lowly.

"It won't matter long, Lass. I've upset too many men on this ship. It appears that my time is almost up. Ye may call me Bellamy though." His wrinkled face lit up in a grin at her immediate wince.

She mulled over her drink for a moment. She watched the red liquid swirl gently in her glass, the red washing up the sides and faint bubbles popping in its wake. He was a dangerous man to be sure. His crew hated him. Yet he had connections in England. From the rumors she heard he was supposed to be dead, his ship lost at sea overloaded with treasures that sank his ship and led to his demise. He had a pardon waiting for him in the Bahamas yet he had been presumed dead several years ago since he had never come to collect it. He was either lying about his name or knew that he was a dead man either way. Or he was someone else entirely and wanted to use the previous fame that went with that name. Bellamy was often referred to as the 'Pirate Prince' or even the 'Pirate Robin Hood' because of how he treated his prisoners. It would make sense to some degree that he was Bellamy, although he had slaughtered her captors he had spared her and thus far had been rather host like during her short stay. The several hours she had been here she hadn't even been threatened or spoken down to. Yet Bellamy was supposed to be dead for the past twenty years. His age fit with what would be his description but how had he avoided detection this long without being caught? What was in it for him to tell her this? What was happening on this ship that made it relevant to tell her that now? Especially if he knew of the mutiny that was waiting to happen?

"So to make an agreement with you now would be rather mute at this point," she mumbled in to her glass taking a deeper sip than she had.

The cabin dinning room was loud and their conversation couldn't be made out by anyone unless they were standing directly next to them. He must have come over when her last conversation ended to garner what had been told to her. She preferred to keep her discretion though and kept her tone down. Glancing slyly around the room taking note of the few men that appeared to be watching her. This was dangerous and she needed to play her cards correctly. She had to choose a side and fast.

"I wouldn't say that per say," he chuckled lowly. "I'd just need a little something from ye."

She felt herself seethe at his words. Her frustration at his words reminded her of her situation. She didn't have a bargaining chip. She didn't have a position in power. She quickly bit the inside of her cheek, reminding her to keep her cool.

"Depends on what you have to offer," she faked a smile, making sure to keep the unpleasantness out of her voice.

He leaned in, much like the man before him had. His lips found her ear.

"I'll give ye this ship. I'll give ye this freedom. Ye can be captain of yer _Revenge_ ," he purred putting emphases on the ships name.

"And what do you want in return?"

"Easy. I've been looking t'ah retire and this crew is getting a bit reckless," he gestured to the man in the corner that had spoken to her earlier, "that one being a might tricky, whispering in evry'one's ears a'but how… uncouth I am," he chuckled darkly. "I need to disappear," he said easily and took a deep gulp from his goblet, "but I'd prefer to retire on shore than in my sleep ta'night," he added.

"Yer arrival has made them a bit extra restless, divided them up, they've heard the rumors a'but ya, a'but yer prince too. Some of them are angry with me for even savin' ya," he sighed.

"So you want me to clean up your mess?" she questioned. Her voice came out as a gentle hiss as she mimicked him a took a deep sip.

"I want ye to lead the rebellion, maroon me somewhere where I can retire with a bit more ease, and take this ship for yerself."

"You want me to become a pirate?"

"It's the only way I can get my mind around this miss, the only way I can save my crews life. I can pick the few loyal to me, and you can weed out the bad yerself. It looks like this is the best way and it's becoming apparent the more this night goes on," he sighed again taking another deep draft from his drink.

"But I need to decide now," she murmured in agreement.

Even though she had done what felt like nothing but rest the past few days in her dark prison cell and she had done little to no movement this day she felt exhausted like she had run for miles. Her legs quaked at the thought of what she had to do. She felt the nervous sweat start to build in her palms. She stole a deep reassuring breath. Her mind was made up. There were more than two sides to this. While Bellamy had laid out a path for her and so had the other man before him there was a third option. A bit of a mixture. A choice that was hers to make and establish.

"When?" she managed to choke out.

"Whenever yer ready Belle," he said softly using her name with a weird kindness in his voice. Like he truly understood her situation. "I've been sailing us towards the islands most of the day. If ye wait ye might miss yer chance… these men," he gestured vaguely to the room around him, "they'll respect ye, but only if ye make that first move."

She felt her heart warm to the man beside her. Despite her fury, despite having spent less than an hour alone with her in which she basically threw a temper tantrum, he knew her story and was willing to help her. He was placing his faith in her. While she might be his only shot at surviving this night it felt oddly honorable that he had let her piece together the state of his crew before approaching her with this. She realized what his hesitance before had been. He lit his pipe and leaned back in the chair watching her for her reaction.

She reached down and gave his knee a squeeze. Her eyes meeting his and she hoped they conveyed the emotion of gratitude. One man saw them and started to hoot and holler. As if that was the que the room grew quiet. The tension in the air seemed palpable.

It might have been because with dangerous quickness Belle stood quickly behind their captain, dull knife to his throat, and his pistol in her hand. She had managed to un-holster it with blinding fast accuracy, she used the tip of his pipe lit the fuse as she pointed the weapon around the room.

"Now then gentleman," she said easily, surprising herself with the steadiness it held. "How shall we proceed?"

* * *

A/N: _Hey readers! So I'm gonna try and update every Sunday. It's a little late this week but guess what that means? Hahaha. A little tid bit about this story,while yes eventually there are going to be Pirates from Pirates of the Carribean that make their cameo, I stole several of them from real history (a lot like the movies have). So don't expect Jack or any other characters from either franchise just yet. ;). Once I get a few of them on here I might post a little bio down here for those of you interested. Well that's all for now! Let me know what you think!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Revenge of the Rose**

 **Chapter Three**

The almost jovial dinner turned morbid at her question. While the fuse grew lower down towards the gun the men rose, and all watched her with the same mistrust that a dog catcher eyes a while cornered dog. Eyes glanced nervously around the room. No one spoke. No one drank. The air thick with tension as everyone waited for someone to make a move.

Belle caught the eyes of the man that had approached her earlier. The one that had offered her the safety of the crow's nest. He caught her gaze, a small smirk in place, that is until she pointed the gun at him.

"Step forward," she half growled.

Bellamy didn't move either, letting her rest her arm across his throat. He almost seemed like he was about to burst into a fit a laughter and seemed to lean back slightly so that his head rested on her chest. He seemed relaxed, but was playing the part of her captor just fine so she let her attention focus on the men before her.

"I said step forward," she snapped, cocking the hammer on the gun and steadily aiming at him.

The man's hands went up quickly, showing her that he was unarmed as he stepped forward like she demanded. His smirk gone as he eyed her with a new suspicion.

"I'm not here for you, for any of you," she spat. "You might have taken me from a ship, but I was locked up for a reason," she pointed the gun at the rest of the men with a sweeping gesture. "I can't trust any of you, and you can't trust me. So, here's how we're going to do this," she continued.

A man stepped forward and made to grab her. She quickly shot him. Sighing as she eyed his twitching body on the floor, she made a quick flippant kick at the man's boot, checking to see if he made a response. He didn't. She pressed the knife tightly to the captain's throat, half to show the crew she was serious, and half to steady herself. No one moved to help the man, but he helped make her point. She wouldn't hesitate. She couldn't show them that this was the first time she had shot someone. She squared her shoulders, watching the men that were watching her for her next move.

"Reload this," she said to the captain, knife digging in to his neck. She heard what sounded like a chuckle come from him, but he quickly did as she asked, he even handed the gun back to her, as if he was eager to see where she was going with this.

"Now, back to what I was saying before I was interrupted," she continued. She tried to find a coldness in her that the palace had tried to teach her. It wasn't something that came naturally but every good ruler needed it in some degree.

She causally leaned down to the captain, making a show of lighting the next fuse with the pipe that hung loosely from his lips.

"This is my ship now," she announced. "I'm dropping the captain off at the next port and we're going to be civil about this. No law men need to get involved," she added with a threat, "let's keep in mind who'd they'd likely believe in this situation. A young princess or a bunch of pirates," she made sure to not say the word with too much disgust.

"Those of you loyal to this man may accompany him, no questions asked," she continued, "as for the rest of you, you can either stay on board with me and earn your keep. Or you can betray me."

She pointed to the man on the floor.

"I don't do well with betrayal."

A few men let out a nervous laugh at that. It gave her pause and she made careful note to look at each man that dared make the sound. Her glance was enough to silence them but not enough to get rid of a few faint smiles. The young boy from earlier was one of the few who had chuckled although now he looked at the ground and had a dark stain on his cheeks. Another was a bit on the heavier side, a bit older too, with a gruff beard that almost reminded her of her father. Her heart clenched slightly at the sight of him, he cast his eyes downward as well at her gaze, which she was grateful for. She wasn't sure she could hold his gaze for long, without showing some type of emotion associated with weakness. She gave him a last glance before she eyed the other two men. The other was the man that had approached her earlier, his red hair matching his face as he looked away. The final man was younger as well but seemed to be closer to her age. Late twenties, dark brown hair swept into a ponytail. He was ruggedly handsome and reminded her a lot of Gaston.

She decided that those were going to be her men. If they could find humor in her words, in her seriousness than she could trust them more, but she couldn't let them know that yet. She still had to establish her plan. Still had to show the ruthless force that royalty possessed. She had to show them she was worthy of being followed.

"I'm not going to tolerate political nonsense. I'm not going to make a pact with the government to pirate for them, nor am I going to tolerate rape, plunder, all that nonsense. I want men who are going to hate the establishment, out here on the seas there is no government. We answer to no king or queen," her words loudly danced across the room. Had it been empty in here she was sure it would hold an echo. "We are going to do what we want within moral decentness. Stealing from merchant ships, and damn those who get in our way," she continued. She heard a few men stamp their feet in agreement. Their uneasiness melting away with her words.

"I have my personal agenda, I'm sure you all do, but we can reap benefits joining forces," a few men started to nod another with her speak, the four from earlier where flat out grinning and nodding eagerly along with her.

"Who's with me?" she shouted.

There was a surprising roar in answer to her question. Several men grabbed the glasses off the table and cheered, sloshing their drinks together roughly in celebration. She gestured to the four men that had laughed earlier.

"You four, your names," she demanded pointing at them.

She still had a tight hold on the captain, who had gone rather stiff in her grasp. Apparently, she hadn't done as well as she hoped, because she had slammed the door shut on using him openly as a resource. The pressure of deciding made her take an immediate action. Maybe he thought she wasn't going to act out right then but that didn't matter now. Bellamy and his needs were going to take a back burner for now.

"Edward England," the first man that had approached her said. He gave her a dashing grin, his red hair dancing in the candle light, as he bowed and took her hand. She stiffened almost pulling away, but he placed a light kiss on top of her hand and immediately released it. "Ed, for short if it pleases her highness."

"Captain," she corrected. "I assumed control of this ship, so you may address me as Captain or Captain Belle," she said easily. She didn't want to remind herself that her title had been stripped, but these men didn't appear to know that. She wasn't sure what they knew; Bellamy appeared to know a great deal, but she couldn't count on them all knowing in depth her history. Not that it mattered. What mattered now was that she was on path to her revenge.

"Yes, captain," Ed acknowledged. He grabbed her other hand and pulled the knife away, taking her place and holding Bellamy at knife point.

She eyed him with scrutiny, before making a gesture to move himself and the previous captain to the corner instead of the center of the room. He did what she wanted quickly. _Eager to please that one,_ she noted but she was going to have to be weary of him. Bellamy said he had been rousing the rumors among the men, but for now that made him more valuable to her. He could help her convert the rest of the crew with ease at this rate. She turned to face the boy. Who had started to form a line in front of her.

"I don't have a name ma'am," he said quickly before fixing himself, "I mean Captain."

She paused eyeing him with the same level of distrust as the rest of them. While he was a boy he was still old enough to practically be a man, he had been hanging out with pirates, so she couldn't rely on any sense that he was innocent, and he had stolen a kiss on her cheek earlier too.

"So, do you want me to name you? What do you call yourself?" she asked, she made sure to keep her voice from being cruel but showed some impatience with him.

"I mostly get called Kid, if it pleases you, Captain," he mumbled his cheeks red.

"That will do for now, Kid," she said giving him a teasing smirk. "I want you to double check the deck, below deck, you name it, no inch unturned. Make sure there are no crew members that weren't here for this. If they weren't here lock them up for now. We'll deal with them in the morning. Take that man with you there," she commanded and pointed at a burly looking man at the door who had cheered rather loudly at her proclamation of being captain.

She made careful note to notice the man's reaction as Kid grabbed his wrist and hurriedly dashed out the room to follow her orders.

"And your name?" she asked continuing to the next man that was in front of her. He was the larger one that reminded her of her father.

"Marcus," he said, a bit of an Italian accent escaping him.

She tried to control the wince that wanted to escape her at his name. It was even like her father's name, Maurice.

"What's your occupation aboard this ship?" she asked.

"I'm the cook," he said easily, he rubbed his belly for emphasis. She couldn't help herself and laughed at his words and gesture as he immediately endeared himself to her.

"Aye that you would be," she said quickly wiping her eyes. "Make sure everyone has had enough to eat. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. When you're sober enough I expect you to take inventory on our food stores and report back to me," she said. He bowed to her a bit dramatically and turned to the men. He gave them a thumbs up, some cheered at the gesture, others remained quiet. Unsure of what response Belle would approve of as they all watched her. She decided to not pay too much attention to that instead turning to the last man that she had called forward and several other men that were in line behind him. Eager to show their loyalty.

"Name?" she asked.

"Edward Teach," he told her. He smiled and bowed, mimicking Ed from earlier and grabbed her hand to give it a kiss. "You may call me Rob though," he told her "after my middle name," he clarified.

"Alright Rob, what's your occupation?"

"Quartermaster," he answered.

Belle wracked her brains trying to remember exactly what a Quartermaster's duty was, but for the life of her she couldn't recall.

"I'll make sure the coordinates are to your liking Captain," he said quickly almost catching her pause. "Would you like to resume course?"

Here was a problem that Belle realized she had to handle. She couldn't seem indecisive, but she had no clue where they were. If she went with Bellamy's course, it might instill or strengthen his sympathizers before she had a chance to get them off board or weed them out.

"I need to know the coordinates you chose," she said to Bellamy, addressing him for the first time during her munity.

"Bermuda," Bellamy answered quickly eyeing his gun that was still in her grasp.

It was a dangerous move, the island was notoriously stormy, was in the paths of the American colonies from England, too close to Florida which was Spain's territory, and close to the Caribbean which several countries had control over. That was a lot of government in one area that she would rather avoid. A poorly prepared pirate ship wouldn't last long in those waters. His last move was a slight jab at her, but she could easily turn it in her favor.

"Bahamas," she said quickly to Rob. It was a haven for Bellamy who could collect his pardon if he was desperate, but he could still collect a crew and possibly a ship if he wanted, and was too small for word to get out about pirates docking there should they encounter any trouble. It was a safe place to start her career.

He nodded in agreement.

"Wise choice Captain," he said easily.

"What about the Sparrow?" someone called from behind him.

"Sparrow?" she asked.

Bellamy started to laugh behind her.

"Aye him, yer gonna hav'ta deal with him sooner or later. I believe ye have somethin' that belongs to him," he pointed at her makeshift sack that was still resting over her shoulder and in the folds of her dress.

Belle's free hand found its way into the pocket unconsciously. She pulled out the broken compass that she had grabbed earlier. It opened in her palm and pointed east. She shook it. Eyeing it wearily as it continued to point east. She almost questioned Bellamy about how he knew about her pockets contents but decided against it. She couldn't appear weak now.

"Make sure to ask him about that Lass," Bellamy chuckled.

"It's Captain to you," Ed hissed hitting him roughly on the head.

"If we even bump in to him. The man's a slobbering drunk," Rob growled.

 _A slobbering drunk with an impressive amount of piracy under his belt_ , Belle thought to herself.

"He need not concern us now. Lock him up," she told Ed, dismissing Bellamy with a wave of her hand. "I believe I'm retiring to my new quarters for the night. The rest of you… drink on," she ordered. There was a loud cheer as the rest of the crew continued their heavy drinking.

She strode quickly from the room, Rob and Ed following her. Ed half bowed, before dragging the former captain out with him. She strode to the deck as well, Rob following her.

"You handled that impressively," he commented. Taking the gun from her grasp and throwing it over board. She took several steps away from him. Half of her wanted to enjoy the gentle breeze that the night was providing but she was instantly on guard with Rob's clear move of aggression.

"Yes," she answered curtly. She watched him as he circled her.

"I'll follow you for now," he said easily, "but I have my own goals, dreams even. So, does Ed. We won't be following a woman around for long, not without nothing in return."

He made a suggestive look at her. Making sure to pause and stare at her chest.

"Listen Edward," she made sure to use force in her voice. Her heart was racing at his suggestion but not because he was attractive. It was the type of look that made any woman uneasy, and it left her feeling utter repulsion. She had dealt with this type of advance before. "Despite what you may want from me I am the Captain. You're going to respect me with or without a gun."

She found herself dropping to the floor, her dress ripped in the process, but she was able to use a sweeping kick and drop him to the floor. She stood quickly, over him, and placed her heel deliberately over his neck.

"I may have disadvantages, but I have strengths too. There are different rules out here, and while I am new to them, does not mean I am unaware of them."

She was referring to other female pirates, while few and far between they were quite famous. Even if they were lowly crew men. She however, had jumped straight to the rank of captain, and in the pirate fashion she claimed her title, and she was going to embrace it.

She put pressure of her heel, watching him squirm beneath her, as he stared at her with fascination and horror. The dead man in the other room came quickly to her mind. _Not yet,_ she told herself.

"Quartermaster," she said sternly addressing his rank instead of name, "you may have your own ideas on how this is going to go, but if you haven't noticed I took over this ship in less than a day, and I am not going to let you tell me how to run it. You're going to act the same around me in private as you do in front of the others. With respect. Is that clear?" she asked digging her in to his neck with force and authority, but not enough to hurt him.

"Yes… Captain," he mumbled. His cheeks were red.

"Now that that is out of the way. I would appreciate your guidance. Can we start with that? I understand that this isn't a permanent position… for any of us really, but we can talk about the future at a later date."

She bent down offering him her hand. He grinned handsomely and accepted her help up. Brushing the imaginary dirt off his pants as he did so.

"Aye Captain," he said easily. "We'll talk more in the morning then," he agreed. "I'll split up the watch between the trustable men for the evening."

She nodded smiling back at him. It felt like the weird tension of butting heads was instantly gone and she felt like she had just made a steadfast friend.

"I'll be up at dawn. I expect you and Ed in my chambers by then. There is a lot we have to discuss."

He nodded, walking back into her chambers and into the very loud dining area. She could hear laughs and the outraged cries of a card game gone wrong coming from her place on the deck. Suddenly she was very alone, with nothing but the gentle waves and starry sky for company.

She decided to take a stroll around her ship. Letting her hands fall along the wood railing, feeling the breeze in her hair, and the starry sky fill her vision. She took a deep breath of the salty air. A small genuine smile for the first time in a long time gracing her features as she found herself at the helm.

Yes. Fate had provided her with exactly what she wanted and while she knew she had a long road ahead of her she knew that her fate was sealed. She took a deep breath, savoring every ounce she managed to suck down. She was free. Earlier today she had been locked in a prison cell by people who wanted her executed. Now she was the captain of her own ship. How quickly had things turned in her favor. It was almost magical. She shook her head to rid herself of that thought. Magic was dead to her. She had a new purpose now. Her ship was named after her very cause after all.

* * *

A/N: Hey all! I'm gonna go to monthly posts for the time being. I love writing this story but the holidays are right around the corners and so is my birthday. So I'm gonna try to write as far ahead as possible and this small break will give me time to do that.

Now on to the good stuff.

Belamy was a Captain during the Golden age of Pirates and was commonly known as the Prince of Pirates for his behavior towards his captives (he was super nice to them). Edward Teach is known as Black Beard (aka Rob in this story). Edward England was commonly known because he used a Jolly Roger close to Belamy's.

If you do a search on these three you'll see that they are close in time but not close enough to lump them in to one story. I've decided to take pirates from real life and bend their real life history for my uses. I did reference Jack Sparrow in this story I've decided that this is just going to be a Beauty and the Beast story. I'll update that in the future.

Hope you guys are enjoying so far!


	4. Chapter 4

**Revenge of the Rose**

 **Chapter Four**

Belle allowed herself a moment to grief the man that she had shot. There was a rumor that he was in recovery, but she allowed herself the morbid thought that he had departed from this world. Behind closed doors she could be as weak or as strong as she wanted. It was a liberty for the Captain to be alone at night and it was one she was taking full advantage of.

Doctors were hard to come by at sea but apparently one of her men had come aboard with her from her captors and was saved for that very reason. She didn't recognize him as she probed the already full holding cell. In fact, she didn't recognize any of the men that they were holding that came from her captor's ship. Bellamy along with the few men that were deemed too loyal to him to remain free roaming had sectioned off the cell so that the two sides were clearly separated. She had Rob and Ed taking care of who would watch the prisoners for the next few days. Their course that they were on was closer to the Bahamas and judging by their food ration they wouldn't have made it the extra few days it would have taken to get to Bermuda.

She sighed and ran a desperate hand through her hair. She had a long night, and the unfamiliar cabin wasn't helping lull her to sleep. She found herself worrying about the man she shot more and more until she was on her feet pacing the room. Ed had told her to get some rest that he would come fetch her either way, but she couldn't handle the waiting. She found a chest at the foot of the bed and hurriedly dressed in Bellamy's clothes. It felt weird to don pants on but at the same time oddly relieving. She tugged on a coat and quickly pulled up the boots (that were much too large for her) and rushed to the door.

As she flung it open a surprised Ed was waiting for her at the door.

"Belle," he said evenly.

Inwardly she groaned, forgetting that she was going to have a small power struggle with each man that she had named earlier this evening. Sometimes she wished that she was still a princess, just so that people did her bidding without questioning her. Outwardly however she opened the door wider allowing him entry to her room.

She stepped to the side as he closed the door behind him. He watched her with a weird look on his face, the bright moon shone in from her large window, lighting her room well enough to make out the others' features out in the blue glow.

"Ed," she finally said addressing him by his name as well.

"I… uh… wanted to tell you that the doctor says he should make it. The bullet was just enough to knock the wind out of him, but it went clean through. The shock of it must have knocked him out. I put him down in the holding cell with Bellamy to watch over him."

"Good," she said tersely, "I was just about to check on him."

"About earlier, I saw Rob…" Ed started jumping right in to it.

She winced. She had feared that someone might have seen Rob take the gun from her, but at the same time she had thought that she had handled it well from her perspective. However, she was very much aware that to anyone else aboard this ship it might seem weak.

"And…?" she pushed.

She wasn't one for jumping to conclusions. She wanted to hear from Ed what he had to say. Plus, she was still figuring these people out. While her and Rob made a temporary truce and a small friendship seemed to be born from it that didn't mean that Ed thought that. If anything, Ed thought less of her than Rob had to begin with. He had been rather forward with giving her shoulder a squeeze and telling her his plan, acting like she was a helpless damsel that needed to be saved.

He sucked in a deep breath, obviously nervous, before shaking his head and letting out a small laugh.

"You made the signal earlier. I was just waiting for the right time to come check on you," he answered. She felt herself do a double take before realizing that she had agreed with him that her code would be that she was retiring for the evening and that she had uttered those words when leaving the dining area.

"That had been if I was relying on you somehow," she answered.

"Well, aren't you?" he questioned, his head titled slightly, and his arms crossed over his chest as he studied her.

She realized that he wasn't exactly challenging her the way Rob had, but in a weird way that had lead him to drop the warning about the mutiny to begin with. She found herself flustered for some reason unable to come up with a quick satisfactory answer for him.

"I uhh… don't need your saving, if you can't tell I can handle myself," she managed to get out.

She matched him and crossed her arms over her chest. Almost expecting him to challenge that. She knew he wanted answers, most people couldn't accept blindly following someone, but she couldn't do that just yet. She needed a little time to figure out what path she was going to take and while she was able to stumble through that mutiny it wasn't enough to show the crew that she had a full plan, that she was a leader worth following. There was a weird tension in the air before Ed let out a long breath.

"I respect you Captain and I'm rather impressed with how you took charge of that situation. I don't know what you plan on doing… but I will follow you."

She felt her stance relax a little at his words, her face melted slightly giving him a small smile.

"Thank you, Ed," Belle started, "I don't plan on telling people my plans just yet. I'm still making them. I had to improvise that on the spot, but I need loyal people… like you by my side for what I plan on doing. I'll speak to you about it once we make port. Assuming that I survive that long," she added with a cheesy grin.

"I think you can handle it, Captain," Ed laughed, "I haven't seen anyone be able to put Rob on his back in a long time. And now that you're wearing pants I'm sure it will just be easier," he made sure to note her state of dress.

Belle tried not to blush. There was something about Ed that had instantly attracted her to him. Even when he first spoke to her she had noticed his looks first but there seemed to be something else about him as well.

"Yes, well they are much more practical," she said nervously laughing off his weird compliment.

"Right…" he paused. The tension in the air grew between them before Ed coughed and excused himself.

"It's really late, Captain. You should get some sleep. We're in for a rough couple of days," he opened the door, practically falling over his feet as he awkwardly shuffled out.

"Goodnight Ed," she called waving him off as he quickly closed the door behind him.

She kicked off the boots and flopped down on the bed, not bothering to undress. She threw a pillow over her head and let out a muffled scream. That was just weird. There was something odd between them and Belle couldn't place it. She refused to place it.

Events since her departure from France were suddenly assaulting her full force and she tried to will herself to sleep.

She took a deep breath, willing the images that were popping in to her mind to go away.

She let out a small sob. Trying and failing to not think about how she got in this situation. She thought of Adam for the first time in weeks, her heart aching as she folded in on herself. Her knees clung to her chest as she desperately searched for a distraction. She was doing this for him. She missed him.

She managed to distract herself, staring out at the moon and its reflection. Watching the hypnotic waves before sleep finally overtook her.

" _My love," Adam stroked her cheek. His blue eyes sparkled. "Promise me," he whispered. They were pressed tightly together. Both panting and out of breath. Angry calls surrounded them, and footsteps were racing towards them. Belle's head felt light as her mind raced for a solution._

" _No, I can't. There has to be something—"_

 _He shushed her and pulled her in to a small closet with him. Their chests pressed together as they tried to settle their breathing. Both waiting with baited breath as the angry stomp of at least a dozen people stormed past them. Somewhere in the castle Mrs. Potts scream cut through the madness._

" _Belle, please," he managed. His fingers found their way behind her neck gently titling her face up to meet his._

 _They had never been in this kind of danger before. The uncontrolled wrath of their people directed at them. They had no way of getting out of this. At least not together. Belle's stomach flipped._

" _I can't leave you," she whimpered. She hated how small she sounded. She felt the tears fall from her eyes unbidden._

 _Her body felt heavy like it wasn't hers. All she needed was the desperate look in his eyes to know that he needed her to agree. That he would do everything in his power to protect them both. She nodded as his lips quickly caught hers in a chaste relieved kiss. He opened the door slightly and peaked out. They were both hoping that they could make a dash for the stables or somewhere safer to hide until things calmed down. He gave her a reassuring squeeze and pulled her out gently to follow him. They made a dash across to another closet, but just as they opened a door to hide in safety a large group of men rounded the corner._

 _Bell felt a scream rip through her throat as they grabbed Adam and pulled her away from him._

 _Behind him she could see men swirling around them. She could feel hands prying at her, prying her away from him._

" _No," she wept._

 _She could see him talking, see him yelling to let her go, but the words couldn't register in her brain. She fought desperately, kicking at the men who held her as she saw the man behind Adam raise a club._

" _NO!" she yelled again._

" _NO!"_

Belle could feel the sweat on the back of her neck as she stared out the window. She had woken herself up with a violent scream. Night terrors seemed to be a common thing whenever she was able to find time for seep. Her memories haunting her and filling her with dread, remorse, hatred, and an outburst of other emotions. It was still pitch dark out. Eventually she felt a deep sigh escape her. She didn't know what day it was, or what she could do to help her husband, but she was going to do everything possible. Sleep finally claimed her again, this time for the first time in a while, her dream didn't continue where it left off.

There was a light knock on her door that finally woke her. She was laying on her stomach surrounded by fluffy pillows and for a moment she thought she was back in France in her King-sized bed. When no familiar warmth of strong arms wrapping around her happened, she was reminded that this was her new reality. She moaned slightly, arching her back before flopping over on the pillow. She sat up rubbing her eyes before standing and attempting to straighten her shirt. There was another knock on the door.

"Yes, yes, come in," she half growled.

Ed, Rob, Kid and Marcus walked in. Marcus carrying a tray of what looked like porridge and a glass of water. She hurriedly accepted it from him and took several large gulps. A satisfied sigh escaped her.

"Good morning gentleman," she greeted.

They all mumbled their hellos, obviously groggy themselves as they dispersed around her room making themselves comfortable. She took in the room for the first time. There was another desk in here, smaller and in the corner with a stuffed chair that appeared to be nailed down. There was another chair by the bed that had a few coats hung on the back of it. Her bed was large and sat square in the middle of the room, backed against the wall. There was a cabinet full of clothes, next to that, and a small table on the other side. Oddly arranged but doable for now. Rob took the oversized chair while Ed took a corner of her bed, Kid sat at her desk with Marcus hovering beside them. She stood by the door, hugging her food and water greedily.

Ed leaned back and practically fell into her bed. She realized then that she was going to have to share some information with them this morning, she couldn't expect them to make it a whole week blindly following her without some more give and take. She needed to establish trust with them if her plan was going to work.

"We had a rough night," Kid started shaking his head and leaning on her desk.

"Yes, I imagine," Belle sympathized. "I greatly appreciate you all for stepping up to your roles. You're going to be vital to the success of this ship," she stated, giving them all a knowing glance that was allowing them to question her.

"And what do you consider success for this ship?" Rob asked.

His arms were folded on his chest and he looked paler than he had last night dark circles rested under his eyes as he eyed them all. Belle had already finished her breakfast, surprising herself at how quickly she managed to wolf it down and felt a pang of a distant memory with Beast. She almost winced. She hadn't thought of him as that in quiet some time.

"I suppose it is time we start talking to each other openly," she said placing the tray of food on the floor. "As I said last night, I will answer to no government… however there might be some… things we need to discuss. First, I was married to Prince Adam," she started. Heat came to her cheeks as she fought the tears that threatened to overtake her. "And while the French people want my head at the moment, I am still their princess. I can't do much about that now, but I am technically in hiding…" she sighed. "Should I ever be welcome back to my country I will gladly pay you and the crew, but I am acting as a commoner, and as a captain for the time being. I have my own agenda. I want the crown back and I want revenge for my husband's—" her breath caught in her throat at the thought of finishing that sentence. There was an awkward pause "I want revenge," she finished lamely.

"I want riches," Rob started changing the topic. She gave him a reassuring smile, thankful that he was turning the topic away from her. He continued, "I grew up poor, in a poor town, and I am not returning to that life."

Belle nodded. "I was planning on continuing acts of piracy. However, I'm not particularly keen on violence."

"Understandable, considering what the French are doing to your kind," Rob nodded. Belle tried to shrug it off, but could feel the tears fighting to spill over. She took a deep breath.

"If it can be avoided I would prefer that. I understand fights, I understand that sometimes it is unavoidable, however, should we capture a ship… we will let them go unharmed."

She waited to see if any of them protested.

"It's just for the riches then?" she asked when no one else spoke up.

"It's a way of life, it's freedom," Kid remarked trying to dispel the awkward silence that was consuming the room. "While crews can change over time we all become family at some point. There's freedom in sailing where we want, when we want, and not having to spend our money needlessly because… you know we stole it," he shrugged, "and you know the song and all a pirate's life for me." Marcus nodded vigorously with him.

"I'm with you on all of this so far," Belle nodded as well thankful that Kid had spoken up and kept the conversation moving. "I definitely understand the appeal. However, I don't want to do what previous pirates before us have done. I don't want us to only last a year before we all get caught and hung…"

She let that hang in the air. She was curious about how Bellamy had done this for 20 years with faking his death and still not getting caught… she was about to ask when Ed spoke up.

"We haven't had that luxury with Bellamy," Ed started, "We were just acting as a merchant ship until we came across that French ship that was carrying you…"

"Oh," Belle sighed.

Ah that made more sense, he had gone undercover. This might have been all their first acts of piracy. He probably had taken on a new crew, acted noble for a few years would commit an act of piracy, lay low for a while and start over. It seemed like a sound tactic to her. If she ever got a chance she would have to ask him about it.

"Well rest assured, I fully intent to play the part of us acting as pirates. We're going to stir the ocean up," she half laughed at her own joke before clearing her throat, "In regards to the French and any ships of theirs that we capture," Belle paused clearing her throat, "I'm making an exception to the violence rule. Any French military man, any French ship," she corrected, "I want no mercy," she half snarled.

The men in the room grew unnaturally still as they looked at her. Her earlier struggle with her tears disappeared as she felt her fury building at the thought of the men that had betrayed her and Adam. A list that she found herself repeating, their faces engraved in her mind.

"They took everything from me, and I will not let myself be ruled by them. If that means they pay for their life so be it. I have a list of conspirators that helped capture my husband. I want their heads."

Her throat tightened at the thought of Adam, but she met each of their eyes and held their gaze. She hadn't lost their support yet. She didn't want them to see her as a grieving princess who lost her title, but as their fierce Captain. She needed them to accept this part of her as well. The slow fire that was building in her felt like it was growing by the second. The whirlwind of recent events sinking in. She had the power now. The power to act on these feelings of revenge.

"That's all I'm asking for," she finished lamely starting at each of their faces intently.

"Well that's surprising," laughed Marcus, "but if you are willing to go along with us… I don't see why we can't be willing to go along with you."

Rob and Kid nodded in agreement.

Belle locked eyes with Ed waiting patiently for his response.

"Revenge… is-"he cut himself off letting out a sigh. Realizing that what he was about to be said she be said to her privately he took another deep breath before continuing. "Aye, I'm with you."

"I want to make port in the Bahamas, while an English colony we might be able to get some leads on some of the men that I have," she said elaborating on the coordinates and her plans with them slightly. She was going to keep a lot of the details to herself but she could share this much with them. "I don't expect this information to be advertised but I'd prefer to have men that are more willing to follow than ask questions, at least until I get the first one down."

"You've given this some thought then?" Rob questioned.

Belle nodded, her eyes almost lighting up with excitement. A fire was starting within her soul, a fire that she thought had disappeared with her freedom back in France. She was finding her purpose again, she felt herself give them all a deep smile.

"My end goal is to retake the crown," she told them she reaffirmed, "and to do that I will do anything I must."

"That's a bit ambiguous for a pirate," Marcus laughed.

"I don't know how much you know about me but once I make up my mind I will do it," Belle half growled at him, not taking his comment lightly like he intended.

"Of course," Kid grinned interrupting her, "but does that mean you can make us lords and stuff like the Golden age?"

"IF we survive, and I succeed I will reward you guys with most of the riches of France. However, that is going to come with standards, which we will discuss should that day ever come…" she muttered darkly. Her thoughts went to her starving people, and how their revolt lead to many royalties demise. She would have to approach that cautiously when the time came.

"I'd settle for a castle," Rob teased. "It sounds like you know what you're about Captain."

A comfortable silence filled the room. Belle felt more at ease and closer to these four men that she had anyone for a long time. It was almost like she had friends again. She rolled her shoulders.

"That being said… I need you guys to teach me about sailing," she started slowly. There was a short pause in which all the men exchanged a look before erupting into laughter.

Ed nearly fell off the bed he was roaring in laughter so hard, Rob was crying form holding back tears, Marcus and Kid were holding each other and doubled over chackling.

"Uh…." Belle tried to interrupt.

Rob and Kid excused themselves still chuckling loudly to each other as they exited her room. Rob said something about check on guard duty while Kid had chores he needed to tend to. Marcus also excused himself leaving for the kitchen and preparation for the large lunch and serving the rest of breakfast for the sleeping crew. He asked if she wanted to help him check the fishing lines, which she agreed to learn how to do later in the day.

When it was just her and Ed she stopped him from excusing himself.

"I really do need help learning how to sail," she mumbled, her cheeks a bright red.

He patted her lightly on the back, guiding her out with him into her office.

"Aye Captain, but I'll have to teach you in private, can't exactly have the crew knowing that you know nothing about sailing," he chuckled. "First lesson, don't make that common knowledge."

She grumbled something under her breath.

He laughed again before following her on to the deck. He directed her to the helm. There was hardly a soul on deck, Kid was talking to a younger looking boy who was washing the deck and helping Marcus check fishing lines. There was an unfamiliar man in the crow's nest who waved politely down to them, but that was it. He excused the night shift that was at the hull already before he spoke to her again.

"First official business should always be checking the course for the day, make sure we're going in the right direction," Ed started. Despite the deserted state of the ship he made sure to keep his voice down. She nodded, taking mental notes. He kept with random facts and jargon through the quiet morning until the deck was too busy to be unnoticed. She found out that for the most part the men looked to her when they ran out of work, were bored, or needed orders. They all did their jobs for the most part without any prodding on her end.

"We're going to do this every morning before dawn and every evening when everyone's too drunk to notice," he decided after an hour or so and more and more people started to make their way on deck and into the kitchen. "You're also going to start learning your crew members names," he added.

Belle rolled her eyes.

"So, I should make you my first mate?" she questioned. She was still unfamiliar with jargon. "I mean that would make it less suspicious for me to be consoling you correct?"

"Yes… but it's more of a earned title… eventually the men will recognize me as that the more I stick up for you. Probably after our first divvy up of the riches," he noted.

"Right," she laughed. She heard Ed's stomach rumble.

"Go eat. I can keep us steady for the time being," she ordered.

The bright blue sky and the brilliant sun cast a blinding light on the sea. The air was fresh and the breeze had them making good time. It was a beautiful day for her first official day at sea as a Captain. Belle felt a smile creep along her lips. Especially when she saw the small dot of a ship along the horizon.


End file.
